Belladonna's Book Shelf - Book Reviews

Into the Light: Real Life Stories About Angelic Visits, Vision of the Afterlife, and other Pre-Death Experiences by John Lerma, M.D.. © 2007 New Page Books. ISBN 978-1-56414-972-5. Paperback. Spirituality. 240 pages. $14.99 US. [ Purchase ]

Synopsis
Despite our advancements in science and medicine, death remains one of civilization’s most glorious mysteries. Doctors have written books on near-death experiences, but research for pre-death experiences is scarce. Because of this lack of information, Dr. John Lerma has devoted his career to compiling anecdotal and scientific research on pre-death hallucinations from the countless terminally ill patients he lovingly cares for.

Here, in this groundbreaking book, Dr. Lerma shares his valuable research and guidance in 16 inspirational stories of children and adults confronting their deaths through the comforting visions of divine beings. By presenting the mysterious visions, synchronicities, and angelic conversations terminally ill patients encounter. Dr. Lerma shows how knowledge of death can ease the pain and fear as we prepare to enter into the light.

Review
If you go into this book with no belief in the afterlife, you will absolutely finish with one. Dr. Lerma is not just someone looking for a quick buck, he wrote this book with such a compassion for the people within and it touches you like no other book on pre-death experiences. I saw my first full bodied angelic apparition when I was fourteen, so I know how deeply something of that magnitude can change your life, but this is nothing compared to the peace and serenity patients feel at the moment of death after such a visitation. Many stories within will bring you to tears, some will make you laugh, but all will make to feel. Bravo Dr. Lerma for bringing such a life-changing, inspirational and informative book “into the light“.

About the Author
John Lerma, M.D., is the inpatient medical director for the internationally renowned TMC Hospice, part of the largest medical center in the world, the Medical Center of Houston. He has spent the last 10 years caring for the terminally ill and is widely recognized for his compassionate care and for this teaching of end-of-life care to nurses, medical students, and resident physicians. Dr. Lerma is a frequent guest on local, national and international radio and TV.

The Ghost Files: Paranormal Encounters, Discussion, and Research from the Vaults of Ghostvillage.com by Jeff Belanger. © 2007 New Page Books. ISBN 1-56414-974-9. Paperback. Paranormal. 221 pages. $13.99 US. [ Purchase ]

Have you ever wondered what it is like for those plagued by ghostly encounters, psychic abilities (which technically we all have, only some use) or those who investigate the paranormal or are skeptic to no end? Best-selling author Jeff Belanger saves you the trouble in his new and informative book, The Ghost Files.

The sections of this book deal with death, ghostly encounters, what is a ghost, folklore and legends, possession, animal spirits, psychic abilities, skeptics, paranormal investigation and where are the ghosts.

It was fantastic to see psychic ability backed by a passage from the Bible (Corinthians 12:7-11), some we [people of alternative beliefs and spiritualities, and even liberal Christians] can use in their arsenal next time we are badgered by Bible-thumpers.

This book also sheds some good light on skeptics. For any science or belief, skeptics are needed I think. I believe they help to weed the charlatans from the pack, leaving only the truth behind (even if they still object to it). I think we all harbor some sort of skepticism within us. I know I surely did about renowned psychic Sylvia Browne. When the miners were caught in Missouri, Sylvia was asked by Coast to Coast AM if any would be found and she said yes and alive as well. Wrong … they were found, but all were dead. At that moment, I lost any teeny amount of belief I held for her. I’ve even seen her get things wrong on Montel (and blame it on the audience member or etc), but let’s not turn this into a bashing Sylvia party. What I am trying to say, is skepticism is good. It keeps you from being gullible and foolish, taking things as they are. Things should be challenged.

Overall, some of the stories in this book will send chills down your spine [especially the chapter on Possession]! Definitely a most read for paranormal investigators or anyone fascinated by the world of spirits. Mr. Belanger knows his stuff!

About the Author
Jeff Belanger, the founder of Ghostvillage.com, is the author of multiple books, including best-sellers The World’s Most Haunted Places, Encyclopedia of Haunted Places and Our Haunted Lives. He has been a guest on more than 100 radio and television programs around the world including: National Public Radio, Coast to Coast AM, X-Zone Radio, and the Maury Show. In addition, Belanger lectures around the United States on the subject of the supernatural.

Celtic Fantasy. David Davidson. © 2000 Green Hill Productions. Celtic. Music CD. 14 tracks. 53:28 minutes. [ Purchase ]

From Back Cover: “The Irish peasants, left to fend for themselves in a world dominated by a corrupted church, oppressive landlords and an absence of local government and medicine, turned to their own imagination to understand the world around them. From haunting ballads to spry dances, this music was inspired by their legends, their lore, and their fantasies.”

Track Listing
1. Farmer's Hand Intro
2. Fairy Dance
3. Summer Skye
4. Brighid's Blessing
5. Mo Cairenn
6. Farmer's Hand (instrumental version)
7. The Fianna Battle Song
8. The Knowing Tree
9. The Garden
10. Myst on the Glen
11. Mother Sun
12. Fantasy and Dance
13. Fields of the Heart
14. Farmer's Hand (vocal version)

The majority of these songs are written by Mr. Davidson himself (whom is an excellent fiddle player). Some tracks, like Summer Skye, do have a more modern Celtic-jazz sound to them but they still capture the splendor of the Celtic world. Brighid’s Blessing is very reminiscent of Longing by Phil Coulter and is extremely moving, but my personal favorite is The Fianna Battle Song. I can literally see bands of warriors while listening. Fionn Mac Cumhaill comes alive when I hear the harmony play.

Mr. Davidson has definitely proved himself to be a modern Bard and keeper of the old Celtic custom of storytelling. This album evokes feelings of home as you listen to their melodic tale and should be in the collection of every Celtic music lover.

Red River by Lalita Tademy. © 2007 Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-57898-3. Hardback. 420 pages. $24.99 US.

A riot in a small Louisiana town has forever intertwined two southern families, struggling to subsist and prosper in a country wrought by Civil War. Reconstruction has been won for the newly freed black, but the whites in Colfax are not going to make it easy for them to take their proper place in society. Red River follows through three generations of African Americans and their struggle in the aftermath of the terrible wreckage, yet through adversity we often find our strength as families find out what they are truly made of and beat the odds.

This is a chronicle of endurance that is both redolent and gripping, telling the saga of one of the deadliest accounts of racial cruelty in Southern history. The words leap off the page and beg to be read! Well Done!

What Is Mine by Anne Holt. © 2007 Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-57802-9. Hardback. 391 pages. $24.99 US.

A translation of the original Norwegian novel, What Is Mine is a suspense-thriller about a child serial killer stalking a usually low-crime town in Norway. With one child missing, and another dead, lead detective Adam Stubo turns to the only help he knows, Johanne Vik, a former FBI profiler. Yet, Johanne is apprehensive to join being already absorbed in another investigation where the suspect has fled to America. But when more children go missing, Vik (a mother of a six-year old) can no longer turn a blind eye to what’s happening in her own country and joins the local police investigation. Could the cold case and the new have something in common?

This is the first suspense-thriller I’ve read, normally they are only good to me in film form, but this was a pleasant surprise. It’s fact-paced and rather enjoyable and I could over look the few seemingly short chapters (something of a peeve of mine). Her characters are believably human and fascinating. The struggle of the small girl is heartbreaking. These characters pull you in and truly make you feel as though you are a part of this well-composed story.

This is a great introduction to the genre and a sure to be pleasurable read for crime story veterans. I do hope this is not the last English novel to be published by Anne Holt.

Step On A Crack by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. © 2007 Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-01394-3. Hardback. 383 pages. $27.99 US.

I found this book to be highly unbelievable. What busy detective is going to have ten adopted children!? How odd that the former first lady is murdered and at her funeral terrorists see this as an opportunity to strike. And at the same time his wife loses her battle with a deadly disease, leaving him with all the children and a high-profile case. This story is too cliché and predictable. We barely get into the depth of the characters and there seem to be plot holes.

The insanely short chapters made me feel like I was reading a play rather than a novel. It seems to me that the strain of producing so many books a year is causing Mr. Patterson to be lazy in his work. Simply churning out books for profit, rather than genuine storytelling.

I’ve not given up on James Patterson though, as I have been told his Experiment novels are much better than this crime dramas. Perhaps I will have better luck there, but I’m sure this is the last of his murder mysteries I will read. Die-hard Patterson fans will no doubt love this, but it’s just not my cup of tea.

The Chakras in Shamanic Practice: Eight Stages of Healing and Transformation by Susan J. Wright. © 2007 Destiny Books. ISBN 1-59477-184-7. New Age/ Personal Growth. Paperback. 257 pages. $16.95 US. [ Purchase ]

This has been a book I have long waited for. There are only so many introduction to chakra books you can read before realizing that they only change the information a little but the majority it the same. The Chakras in Shamanic Practice is completely different than any other book I have read on this subject. Susan Wright has combined shamanism with chakra work and yoga to create a totally inspirational and pioneering program of self-healing.

Each chapter focuses on one of the eight chakras (the eighth being the energy body or aura). Along with her heartfelt personal stories in each chapter, she also supplies the reader with yoga positions, exercises and more. Through this program, we can transform ourselves and release the trauma we have experienced but holds us back. We can heal the psychic wounds that have been inflicted on us. Susan offers practitioners a way to gather and nurture the fragmented parts of their energy body and lead themselves to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

I cannot sing the praises of this book long enough!

The World of Shamanism: New Views of an Ancient Tradition by Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph.D. © 2007 Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-7387-0575-0. Paperback. 325 pages. $18.95 US. [ Purchase ]

Shamanism the world’s oldest form of spirituality, it is the ground from which all religion sprang. Long before organized, dogma-ridden religions came into play, the natives of countries relied on the advice, healing and training of the tribe’s own shaman or medicine man. The word ‘shaman’ means the indigenous medicine men of Siberia, but has long since come to be a blanket term for all traditions of the same nature. We know that the Native Americans practiced shamanism and we have clues left behind in mythology to suggest the same of the Celts, yet in this ambitious work, Roger Walsh (an anthropologist) surveys all modern evidence of ancient shamanism.

Broken down into seven sections: Who Where When and What Is a Shaman, the Big Picture, The Life of the Shaman, Diagnosing the Shaman, The Shaman’s Universe, Shamanic Techniques, and the Shaman’s Mind.

This is an important book to anyone who is thinking about studying shamanism or just has a mild interest. As George Feuerstein said in his review this is a “door-opening book for students of consciousness and spirituality” and I could not agree more.

Goth Craft: The Magickal Side of Dark Culture by Raven Digitalis. © 2007 Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-7387-1104-11. Paperback. 300 pages. $16.95 US. [ Purchase ]

Upon beginning the book, we are instructed on what it Goth. We are shown the types of people who are considered Goth and what type of apparel they wear and music they listen to. After that we venture into the Craft. Some basics are mentioned here like what is a Witch, the types of Witches, and the different traditions (and the symbols of those specific traditions and while the author does tell that Satanism is not a form of paganism, it is will included since some in the Goth scene are attracted to it).

Part three consists of the Philosophies of the Dark Witch. Raven shows that “dark” does not mean evil but being willing to work with and acknowledge your shadow shelf/side. He continues to show the reader about attitude and personality, discipline and traditionalism, utilizing emotional energy, and using effigies as emotional channels. The following section is called the Dark Arts but unlike it’s name has nothing what so ever to do with what some would consider darks arts (like cursing, necromancy and etc). Rather it discusses the clothing, makeup (including a very informative section on various makeup styles and how to achieve them), hair, and body modification (complete with a table of piercing correspondences). Section five, aptly entitled Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll, deals with the ways of making magic. Raven suggests using music, dancing, drugs and alcohol, and sexuality (includes a section on queer-friendly gods and goddesses). Section six discusses Magick: a list of useful tools, powerful symbols, ethics, craft names, ritual. Section seven talks about the gothic fascination with death, including blood magick, vampirism, death magick, and necromancy.

Along with many colored photos (most taken by the author himself) and an awesome overall design, this book is a eye-opening view into the gothic subculture and is much better than other books I have read on the same topic. If the darkness beckons you, answer the call with this.

Sacred Land: Intuitive Gardening for Person, Political & Environmental Change by Clea Danaan. © 2007 Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-7387-1146-1. Paperback. 266 pages. $15.95 US. [ Purchase ]

Because of the horrible drought and intense heat wave the south has been through (and is still experiencing), gardening is the farthest thing from my mind at the moment. I was intrigued to be able to review this book though, as I was curious as to how gardening could possibly cause a political change. I understand the personal and environmental.

The author has divided the book into chapters based on each of the four elements, supplying not only spiritual and organic ways of gardening, but also shares with us goddesses of nature and sacred sisters in the world who have used their love of the earth and gardening to make a change in their lives and in the lives of those around them. The political aspect was then made clear to me. We are also generously supplied with room at the end of each chapter for personal notes and thoughts. Of which I had many ;)

The way Clea draws connections from gardening into the spiritual lives of Wiccans and Witches is fantastically brilliant. She has thoughtfully poured her heart and soul onto these pages and it’s unmistakable when reading it. This is a wonderful read and powerful journey. Be prepared for a change if you choose to read this (which I suggest). If you are drawn to gardening and have an affinity to authors like Ellen Dugan and Ann Moura, this is the perfect book for your collection.

Ghost Worlds: A Guide to Poltergeists, Portals, Ecto-Mist & Spirit Behavior by Melba Goodwyn. © 2007 Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-7387-1195-9. Paperback. 241 pages. $14.95 US. Available September 1, 2007. [ Purchase ]

As a one-stop book for beginning the adventure of Ghost Hunting, Ghost Worlds offers practical ghost hunting tips, describes how to conduct a ghost interview, create an environment that attracts spirits, and how to capture evidence of ghost using traditional ways and new technology. Along with this, Melba Goodwyn, a seasoned ghost hunter and parapsychologist, offers original insights and true stories from over twenty years of work. She presents in-depth explanations of different kinds of ghosts, entities, and other paranormal phenomena. We are given a look at the best places to look for ghosts, the types of phenomena (traditional spirits, residual ghosts, shadows ghosts, ecto-mist, portals, vortexes, crisis apparitions, bi-location, demons, haunted objects, levitations, ghost lights, spirit guides, thought forms, and EVP), and gives a detailed look at a average ghost hunters kit. Finishing it all off, Melba tells what she calls “the ultimate ghost story.”

I found this book highly valuable and fascinating and plan on recommending it to all who have an interested in the spirit world and in ghost hunting.

Rock Your World with the Divine Mother: Bringing the Sacred Power of the Divine Mother into Our Lives by Sondra Ray. © 2007 New World Publications. ISBN 1-930722-75-3. Paperback. 239 pages. $14.95 US.

Having spent the last three decades learning from the masters of India, Sondra Ray is a well-respected teacher of the femininity of divinity. Being her eighteenth book, Rock Your World with the Divine Mother is not a how-to manual, but rather the author shows us how to open up to the Divine Mother through her re-telling of various pilgrimages to Peru, Yugoslavia, India and more in her personal search of the Divine Mother. Sondra shows that no matter the religion or race, the Holy Mother’s presence is alive and living within us all and can be found in Quan Yin, Kali-Ma, Amma (the Hugging Saint), Pele, the Virgin Mary, even in Babaji and in nearly every positive, living spiritual path.

The chapter (1, Creating Miracles) featuring her empowering and humbling story of her visit to the Virgin at Medjugorie, Yugoslavia was exceptionally moving to myself. I could literally feel the spirit of the Divine Mother leaking off the pages and filling the room with its ambience, and I was brought to tears.

Rock Your World with the Divine Mother is broken in three parts; the first focusing on Sondra’s journeys and experiences, the second speaks of the ceremonies and festivals (mainly in India) that celebrate the Divine Feminine, and the final part shows us how we can serve the Divine Mother through our work in serving humanity and through meditation and prayer. The intuitive appendices discuss the relation between our surrendering and womanly “afflictions” like breast cancer and menopause that haunt so many of today‘s women. Through them, the author shows how to reclaim your power. The final chapter is Sondra’s very own personal prayer that she invites the reader to pray along with her. A moving finale to a fantastic tome.

I read this book in one sitting, something I rarely ever do. This insightful manuscript will make anyone, man or woman, want to surrender to the loving energy of the Divine Feminine. Highly recommended!

A Year and a Day in Magick: A Complete Week-by-Week Course to a Lifetime in Magick by Cassandra Eason. © 2007 Quantum Books. ISBN 0-572-03281-1. Paperback. 720 pages. $34.95 US.

This is something the neo-pagan community has long needed. A one-stop place for learning the basic requirements for your beginning journey into Witchcraft. It can be used by a beginner, an experienced solitary practitioner or a coven. Even though I have a Second Degree, I find much use for this book and I plan on keeping it for my references as I continue to follow my personal path of spirituality.

This also makes great teaching material for those wishing to teach a course in Witchcraft as you can use the 52 weekly modules for assignments and etcetera. I even recommended this book while I was shopping at Books-A-Million and two women just entering Witchcraft liked what I had to say on it and purchased two copies. This is an indispensable guide and should be on every Witch’s shelf!

The Virtuous Consumer: Your Essential Shopping Guide for a Better, Kinder and Healthier World by Leslie Garrett. © 2007 New World Library. ISBN 1-930722-74-5. Paperback. $15.95 US.

Leslie Garrett brings to the forefront some of the main concerns of our ailing planet and ways we can help without preaching and fundamentalism. No matter how busy you are, this book gives you no reason not to take your stand in the healing of Mother Earth. There are simple techniques, lists of resources and ideas and so much more. This is a book that everyone in the US, if not world, should own. Blessings to Leslie for writing such a persuasive and sensible guide!

Praying With the Angels by Richard Webster. © 2007 Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-7387-1098-3. Paperback. 219 pages. $13.95 US.

I have been a fan of Richard’s work since his release of Candle Magic for Beginners, it was one of the first books I read on my journey into earth-based spirituality, but sadly I must say, I wasn’t very impressed with his latest writing venture. Praying With the Angels is his eighteenth book and his sixth on Angels in particular. Within the last ten years, Angel awareness has blasted the world onto a whole new level of consciousness. They are no longer the background watchers of our lives, but forces we can work with to help achieve a better life for both ourselves and the ailing planet.

That being said, I feel the information contained within this book has already been published, most by Richard himself in his book Spirit Guides and Angel Guardians (which is, in my opinion, the better choice on his Angel writings), and some by authors like Doreen Virtue, the leader in the New Age of Angels. I am not saying it’s a terrible book, but for people who have already read his others, it’s not one to run out and purchase unless you’d like a tome containing it all in one place, rather than numerous books. Otherwise, it’s just redundant.